Scheduled
Philadelphia 76ers at Detroit Pistons
2026-27 · Regular season
LeBron James sips a fan’s wine, then explains why: ‘If you don’t find ways to have fun… it could wear on you’
LeBron James crashed into a fan, took a sip of his wine and said it was 'alright,' then said a long season 'could wear on you' without fun, as the 76ers beat the Bulls 126-107 to go 7-1 and Jaylen Brown called him 'like a quarterback.'
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LeBron James chased a loose ball into the crowd in the third quarter of the 76ers’ 126-107 win over the Bulls on Monday night, crashed into a fan holding a cup of wine, and took a sip before running back to play defense. Afterward he said he wanted to see if it was worth it. Then he explained why a 41-year-old in his 24th season is making sure he enjoys the ride.
James finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and nine assists in 31 minutes and was a plus-30 as Philadelphia improved to 7-1, the best record in the East.
James on the wine and on Jaylen Brown, posted by Chris Hine on X.
“I spilled some of his wine. I crashed into him, spilled some of his wine,” James said. “So I wanted to see if it was worth it on my arm and how good it was.” The review: “It was alright.”
Troy Clemons, the fan, in a video posted by Legion Hoops on X.
The fan, Troy Clemons, was walking back to his seat when James came through. He said James took a sip, handed the cup back and ran onto the floor, and that he later threw the cup away. “At the end of the day, he’s another man like me,” Clemons said. “He’s LeBron, but at the end of the day, I threw that cup in the trash.”
“It could wear on you”
Asked about the moment and the smiling, dancing, handshaking night around it, James gave the answer that mattered more than the wine.
James on having fun with the 76ers, posted by the NBA on X.
“It’s a long marathon, and if you don’t find ways to have fun throughout it, even though you’re working, even though you’re locked in, it could wear on you,” he said. “So for me, especially at this point in my career too, being able to just appreciate the moments, the small moments.” He said the fans have been great to the team and the team tries to be great back by “playing the game the right way, playing the game hard, and then also just being showmen as well.”
The fourth quarter showed what he meant. After a fadeaway that rolled around the rim before it dropped, James celebrated. On the next possession Tyrese Maxey finished a driving layup through contact and shimmied his shoulders.
Brown: “He’s like a quarterback”
Jaylen Brown bounced back with 25 points on 9-of-15 shooting, 11 rebounds, five assists and two fourth-quarter threes, including one off the dribble that made it 119-102 with 3:09 left. He did it two days after shooting 6-of-15 at Charlotte, and after missing Friday’s win over the Knicks with left knee tendinopathy.
Brown on James pushing the pace, posted by the NBA on X.
Brown said the thing he loves most is when James grabs a rebound, “because he’s like a quarterback.” Either he fires the ball ahead, Brown said, or the 76ers get to push the pace, and he said that helps their offense a lot. Philadelphia scored 29 fast-break points.
James returned the compliment, and he was honest about the time it will take. Brown is in his first season away from Boston after 10 years there. “It’s not going to happen overnight,” James said, adding that it takes an adjustment for Brown and for everyone who joined him on a new roster, but that “tonight was a great step, and he showed what he’s capable of.” Brown said the team has “a lot of talent” and “you haven’t seen our best version yet.”
Edgecombe’s running lanes
The most visible result of James’ rebound-and-go style was VJ Edgecombe, who started 7-for-7 and finished 9 of 12 with a season-high 21 points and five assists. James hit him with two bounce passes in transition for dunks, and said a lesson from training camp paid off. “There’s a couple times in training camp that he kind of slowed up and didn’t think I’d get the pass there to him,” James said. “I told him all he has to do is just run, and I’ll try to put it on time, on target.” Edgecombe said: “If you’re open, he’s going to pass it to you. The main thing is just being ready.”
102 points from the starters
All five 76ers starters scored at least 15. Maxey had 26 points and 11 assists, with 15 of the points in the fourth quarter, Brown had 25, Edgecombe 21, James 15 and Joel Embiid 15 with eight rebounds in 25 minutes. The 76ers shot 53% and had 36 assists on 14 turnovers. Maxey’s night was his 20th regular-season game with 25 or more points and 10 or more assists, which puts him behind only Allen Iverson (65) and Wilt Chamberlain (25) in 76ers history.
Philadelphia now goes on the road for three games. It visits the Detroit Pistons, who beat it on Oct. 25 for its only loss so far, on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. ET (2:00 a.m. Thursday in Cairo), then plays Friday at the Cleveland Cavaliers, James’ former home, and Sunday at Chicago.
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